Best Plutarch Podcasts (2024)

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94 - Gallic Wars 4: Amphibious Assault 57:30

13d ago57:30

57:30

Caesar crosses two major bodies of water (and he hasn’t even gotten to the Rubicon yet), in part 4 of our series on Caesar’s masterwork of psychology, strategy, and propaganda: On the Gallic War (De Bello Gallico). This is a world-history making story (the conquest of what’s now modern France), told by a world-history making storyteller. Caesar ent…

1
Ancient Greco-Roman Story-Telling and the Gospels 1:48:18

17d ago1:48:18

1:48:18

Do apparent contradictions in the gospels mean we can’t trust them as reliable sources of information about the person and life of Christ? Dr. Mike Licona tackles this important question by examining ancient Greco-Roman biography, the genre to which the gospels belong, and the conventions used by authors of the time when writing them. He explains t…

1
93 - Gallic Wars 3: Caesar At Sea 1:07:12

26d ago1:07:12

1:07:12

Cost of Glory Ecuador event Aug 22-25: for more info & links read this post. Caesar faces enemies at home and on sea, in part 3 of our series on Caesar’s masterwork of psychology, strategy, and propaganda: On the Gallic War (De Bello Gallico). This is a world-history making story (the conquest of what’s now modern France), told by a world-history m…

1
Lydia McGrew Answered! Conclusion 18:49

1M ago18:49

18:49

In this episode, the final part in an 8 part series, Dr. Licona reviews and summarizes the problems with Lydia McGrew’s methodological interpretation of the Gospels. Then he argues that compositional devices is compatible with the biblical doctrine of inspiration. Finally, he pastorally guides us to consider whether it’s our view of history that ne…

1
92 - Gallic Wars 2: Conspiracy 51:46

1M ago51:46

51:46

Caesar almost loses it all, in part 2 of our series on Caesar’s masterwork of psychology, strategy, and propaganda: On the Gallic War (De Bello Gallico). This is a world-history making story (the conquest of what’s now modern France), told by a world-history making storyteller. Caesar entered Gaul as a mere politician. He returned 9 years later as …

1
Athena's Plan in the Odyssey: On Teaching and Learning 38:06

2M ago38:06

38:06

This is the preview to my second discussion of Homer's Odyssey for the "Fathers & Sons" series on my AthensCorner.com website. It's the sequel to my previous discussion on the Odyssey titled "The Beautiful, the Good, and the Just in Homer's Odyssey. At issue in this is the status of Odysseus's son, Telemachus. More than merely an entryway into the …

1
Lydia McGrew Answered! On Gospel Differences 19:47

2M ago19:47

19:47

In this episode, part 7 in an 8 part series, Dr. Licona reviews several events in the Gospels to demonstrate how compositional devices are more plausible explanations than the explanations embraced by Lydia Mcgrew: forced harmonizations, or worse, that errors had occurred. These audio clips are taken from Dr. Licona’s YouTube channel, originally pu…

1
Lydia McGrew Answered! More Methodological Missteps 25:01

2M ago25:01

25:01

In this episode, Dr. Licona walks us through more missteps by Lydia Mcgrew, including false dichotomies on the issues of chronological narration, and between compositional devices and Undesigned Coincidences This is part 6 in a series of 8. These audio clips are taken from Dr. Licona’s YouTube channel, originally published in 2020.…

1
Lydia McGrew Answered! On Plutarch 40:52

2M ago40:52

40:52

In this episode, part 5 in an 8 part series, Dr. Licona patiently deconstructs Lydia McGrew’s contrived flow chart for determining when it is safe to consider if a compositional device has been employed. He also shows how she approaches ancient historical sources with her own pre-conceived views, and how this results in erroneous conclusions. These…

1
91 - Gallic Wars 1: Caesar's Chance 1:26:25

2M ago1:26:25

1:26:25

The beginning of a new series on Caesar’s masterwork of psychology, strategy, and propaganda: On the Gallic Wars (De Bello Gallico). It’s a world-history making story (the conquest of what’s now modern France), told by a world-history making storyteller. Caesar entered Gaul as a mere politician. He returned 9 years later as a conqueror - and an ene…

1
Lydia McGrew Answered! Black & White Thinking 27:15

2M ago27:15

27:15

In this episode, part 4 in an 8 part series, Dr. Licona demonstrates Lydia McGrew’s rigid approach that’s founded upon her presumptions pertaining to ancient historical reporting. Her black and white thinking leads to an all-or-nothing approach, exaggerated opinions, and inaccurate conclusions about how the ancients reported the past. Moreover, she…

1
Lydia McGrew Answered! On Paraphrase 19:42

2M ago19:42

19:42

In this episode, Dr. Licona gives attention to Lydia McGrew's contentions that historians in antiquity would not have employed the literary exercises taught in the compositional textbooks by Theon, Quintilian, and others. This is part 3 in a series of 8. These audio clips are taken from Dr. Licona’s YouTube channel, originally published in 2020.…

1
Aemilius Paullus 59:57

2M ago59:57

59:57

Full Show Notes Greek Parallel - Timoleon Important People Perseus - A tyrannical Macedonian leader who acts as a foil to Aemilius's virtues. They are like parallel lines running in opposite directions, even down to their family lives. Tubero - An obscure character worth keeping an eye on. Raised in a frugal, Roman home supporting Roman virtue, he …

1
90 - Heroes are Dangerous: Rousseau & Nietzsche with Johnathan Bi 1:20:36

2M ago1:20:36

1:20:36

Johnathan Bi left success in the startup world to focus on researching the deep ideas that power the world, and has recently launched his series on the Great Books of the West, starting with his lecture on Nietzsche. In this episode: What is Rousseau’s impact on the world? Johnathan’s Journey towards the Great Thinkers and their Books The Duality o…

1
Lydia McGrew Answered! Are the Gospels Greco-Roman Biographies? 14:56

2M ago14:56

14:56

In this episode, part 2 of 8 in a series, Dr. Licona answers Lydia McGrew's contention that the Gospels are not affiliated with Greco-Roman biography. He demonstrates that she misinterprets ancient writers on the subject, fails to consider the degree of literacy required for composition, and misinterprets other scholars on the subject. These audio …

1
Lydia McGrew Answered! An Introduction 12:13

2M ago12:13

12:13

In this episode, part 1 of 8 in a series, Dr. Licona describes his research on Gospel differences and introduces us to a critical assessment of his work by Lydia McGrew, a Christian apologist. These audio clips are taken from Dr. Licona’s YouTube channel, originally published in 2020.By Mike Licona

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89 - A Manual for Greatness — with Johnny Burtka 59:57

2M ago59:57

59:57

An interview with Johnny Burtka, the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Intercollegiate Studies Institute. He is a graduate of Hillsdale College, and his most recent book is titled “Gateway to Statesmanship—Selections from Xenophon to Churchill”. In this episode: The Mirrors for Princes tradition Obstacles as a Ladder to Greatness The Pot…

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88 - Mysteries of the Scrolls — with Nat Friedman 57:14

3M ago57:14

57:14

An interview with Nat Friedman, former CEO of GitHub and creator of the Vesuvius Challenge, which aims to crack the riddles of the Herculaneum Papyri. In this episode: The Genesis of the Vesuvius Challenge Early Attempts to Open the Scrolls Using a Particle Accelerator to Scan the Scrolls! Partnering with Daniel Gross and Brent Seales Nat’s Childho…

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87 - Pursuing Greatness — with Pano Kanelos 50:39

3M ago50:39

50:39

An interview with Pano Kanelos, the founding president of the University of Austin and the former President of St. John’s College, Annapolis. In this episode: How founding a university is like running a diner The flourishing of American universities in the 19th century How old philosophers were men of action The Intellectual Foundations Program at …

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86 - Pompey: Aftermath, Comparison w/ Spartan King Agesilaus 40:04

3M ago40:04

40:04

In which we follow the lead of Plutarch and study Pompey's character and analyze what we can learn from the life of Pompey the Great, by comparing him to King Agesilaus of Sparta, whom Plutarch paired him with. Sources and Further Reading for the Life of Pompey: John Leach, Pompey the Great: https://amzn.to/3UxOsW8 Robin Seager, Pompey: a Political…

1
Finding the Validity of the Resurrection of Jesus 50:21

3M ago50:21

50:21

In this episode, Dr. Licona discusses his process for finding the validity of the resurrection while writing his book, “The Resurrection of Jesus: A New Historiographical Approach.” This interview was conducted by Wintery Knight and Desert Rose on March 23rd, 2024.By Mike Licona

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85 - Pompey III: Fields of Pharsalus 1:59:40

4M ago1:59:40

1:59:40

Life of Pompey Part 3 of 3: Pompey's final rise to the heights of Roman power, his war with his friend Julius Caesar, and his final downfall. People: (M. Tullius) Cicero (Titus Pomponius) Atticus C. Julius Caesar Cn. Pompeius Magnus (Pompey) Julia, Caesar's Daughter (M. Licinius) Crassus (L. Domitius) Ahenobarbus - Optimate Stalwart (Cos. 54) (M. P…

1
Thucydides, Nietzsche, and Plutarch 3:50:24

4M ago3:50:24

3:50:24

This is my entire discussion of the opening to Thucydides's Peloponnesian War for the Technology & Nihilism series on my website (AthensCorner.com). In this recording I read in its entirety, and discuss in very meticulous detail, the first twenty-two paragraphs of Thucydides's Peloponnesian War (commonly referred to as "the Archaeology" of the text…

1
Titus Flamininus 48:58

4M ago48:58

48:58

Full Show Notes - https://plutarch.life/titus-flamininus/ Greek Parallel - Philopoemen Important People Philip V - The second-to-last Macedonian king because the Romans play fair in this generation and allow Philip to remain on the throne even after soundly defeating him in battle twice. Philip also has to give up over-lordship of Greece which allo…

1
84 - Pompey II: Empire of Venus 1:49:26

4M ago1:49:26

1:49:26

Pompey becomes Rome’s greatest conqueror, and empire builder, but faces even greater trials back home in Rome. People Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus, "Pompey the Great" Sulla Felix, the Dictator Pompey The Pirates Posidonius the Stoic Mithridates VI Eupator, King of Pontus Lucius Licinius Lucullus Cicero, the Orator Manilius, the Tribune Julius Caesar Theo…

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Christianity, Philosophy, and "Modernity" (part 1) 1:17:27

5M ago1:17:27

1:17:27

Broadly speaking, the theme of the series that I provide in philosophy on my website, AthensCorner.com, center around the various relationships in which philosophy and divine revelation have existed together in the Western philosophical tradition, whether for the Greeks, the medieval Scholastics, the Moderns with their "Modern" science, or the Post…

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83 - Pompey I: Kid Butcher 1:23:27

5M ago1:23:27

1:23:27

Pompey, the Great. Part 1 of 3. Pompey's rise to become one of Rome's greatest generals - before he's even old enough to hold office. How he got the nickname of "Kid Butcher" or "The Butcher Boy". Thanks to our Sponsor, Intercollegiate Studies Institute! www.isi.org Key Names: Agesilaus of Sparta Julius Caesar Alexander the Great Pompeius STRABO (f…

1
Philopoemen - The Last of the Greeks 54:41

5M ago54:41

54:41

Full Show Notes Roman Parallel – Titus Flamininus Important People Epaminondas – A personal hero of Philopoemen’s; he can imitate him in nearly everything except his calmness (cf. Section 3). Epaminondas sets a high water mark for Theban military and political power which Philopoemen is not able to replicate with Megalopolis. Nabis – Spartan tyrant…

1
82 - How to Tell a Flatterer From a Friend 31:01

6M ago31:01

31:01

Check out Ralston College's FUNDED MA program: https://www.ralston.ac/humanities-ma ! ...Plutarch offers some advice on how to choose your friends, and how to be a good one. Examples include Alexander the Great, Cato, Carneades, Plato, Dionysius the Tyrant, and more. (Here depicted: the monument of Philopappus in Athens, to whom Plutarch's essay is…

1
Aristotle: Slavery and the Entirety of Philosophy 25:38

6M ago25:38

25:38

In preparing to begin an entire series on Plato's longest dialogue the "Laws" for my website AthensCorner.com, I use an almost casual comment by Aristotle in his discussion (or logos) on slavery in the Politics to discuss the way in which inquiry into the art of politics unfolds, and almost immediately (!), into the entirety of philosophy. Among ot…

1
Cleomenes 1:22:34

6M ago1:22:34

1:22:34

Full Show Notes for Plutarch's Life of Cleomenes Roman Parallel - Tiberius Gracchus Important People Aratus - The same Aratus from the last life, but older and more experienced now. Between Aratus, Cleomenes, and Philopoemen, it becomes clear that the Greeks themselves are the architects of their own undoing. None of these three men cooperates with…

1
81 - Spartacus — with Barry Strauss 51:08

6M ago51:08

51:08

An interview with Barry Strauss, Spartacus expert, and author of The Spartacus War In this episode: -How Spartacus' Slave revolt almost failed in its early stages -Overcoming short term thinking as a leader -Spartacus' influence on modern leadersBy Alex Petkas

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About AthensCorner.com and the "Athenian Stranger" 20:50

6M ago20:50

20:50

If you're enjoying the recordings I've been providing here and you're curious about my larger project with AthensCorner.com and my own story, then I think you'll find this brief discussion interesting and hopefully as enjoyable as the others.By Athens Corner

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Eros, Honor, and The Shield of Achilles in Homer 3:19:13

6M ago3:19:13

3:19:13

This is my discussion in its entirety of The Shield of Achilles from the Technology & Nihilism series on my website (AthensCorner.com). The purpose of this discussion is to reveal the teaching in Homer's Iliad on this thing we call "technology." This is particularly important for us because of the way in which we tend to mistakenly believe that the…

1
80 - The Best Stoic Sentences 31:13

7M ago31:13

31:13

A method for reading that can transform your life. W/ help from Dana Gioia, California Poet Laureate, Chairman, National Endowment for the Arts 2003-2009. Get his new book Sentences from Seneca, here! Some Sources: https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Moral_letters_to_Lucilius/Letter_108 https://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Sallust/Bellum_J…

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Imagery, Poetry, and Natural Right in Homer's Odyssey 57:29

7M ago57:29

57:29

This is my second discussion on Homer's Odyssey for the Fathers & Sons series on my website (AthensCorner.com). I've provided the entirety of the discussion here because I believe that what Homer provides us with is still so very urgent and relevant for us today and, in particular, for fathers seeking to have a direct involvement in educating their…

1
79 - Spencer Klavan: Why Achilles Plays the Lyre 1:00:15

7M ago1:00:15

1:00:15

Why does Achilles, slaughterer of men, play the lyre? A conversation with Spencer Klavan of the Young Heretics podcast. Check out the Cost of Glory Men's Leadership Retreat: costofglory.com/retreat ! Spencer on Twitter: @spencerklavan In this conversation, we discuss: -Spencer & Alex's common ground training as classicists -How one gets into these …

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The Meaning of the "Overman [Übermensch]" in Nietzsche 45:39

7M ago45:39

45:39

Talk of Nietzsche is almost always synonymous with talk of the "Overman [Übermensch]," and so what I do in this discussion is introduce a number of the most definitive themes in Nietzsche's thought by way of an introduction to the Overman in his thought. To achieve this goal, I begin with the importance of Goethe's Faust for Nietzsche, and then I c…

1
Agis 49:24

7M ago49:24

49:24

Important People Lycurgus - ancient lawgiver, whose biography Plutarch also wrote, and to whom everyone refers constantly in this life as the original set of laws they are trying to hearken back to. Leonidas - one of two kings of Sparta (along with Agis, the protagonist of this life) who first secretly and then openly resists and thwarts Agis’s ref…

1
Postmodernity, Technology, and PreModernity (part 1) 46:02

7M ago46:02

46:02

This is the first half of a discussion in which I broadly but rigorously introduce the most definitive characteristic of Postmodern philosophy and how that characteristic is inherently related to what we refer to as "technology" and PreModern philosophy. Specifically, I discuss the thought of Friedrich Nietzsche, Ernst Jünger, Martin Heidegger, and…

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The Poetry of Being: Nietzsche's Thus Spoke Zarathustra 1.3 (part 2) 23:56

7M ago23:56

23:56

This is the trailer of a discussion for the series I'm doing on the entire text of Nietzsche's Thus Spoke Zarathustra (the entire discussion is available on my AthensCorner.com website for subscribers). At issue here is Zarathustra's turn from the critique of the hinterworldly to the metaphysical concept of "being" and, for Zarathustra, the psychol…

1
78 - Lucullus III: Betrayal 1:10:55

8M ago1:10:55

1:10:55

The fall and political struggles of the great Lucullus, rival of Pompey and Caesar. Cost of Glory Men's Retreat 2024 application open! - costofglory.com/retreat Thanks to our sponsor Ancient Language Institute - Tutoring now available: Latin: https://ancientlanguage.com/latin-tutorials/ Ancient Greek: https://ancientlanguage.com/ancient-greek-tutor…

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The Beautiful, the Good, and the Just in Homer's Odyssey 19:50

8M ago19:50

19:50

This is the preview to my first discussion of Homer's Odyssey for the "Fathers & Sons" series on my website AthensCorner.com (it is the sequel to my previous discussion here of the Biblical Samson). At issue here is what we do not find in the story of Samson, namely, the relationship between a father and son wherein the son journeys to know his fat…

1
Marcellus and Pelopidas Compared 25:31

8M ago25:31

25:31

Pelopidas Show Notes Marcellus Show Notes How do these two hasty generals compare? Who had the greater victories? Who had the greater flaws? What lessons are there for us over two centuries later? Support the Show.By Tom Cox - grammaticus

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Nietzsche's Thus Spoke Zarathustra 1.3 (part 1): The Revolution Begins 29:18

8M ago29:18

29:18

This is the trailer of a discussion for the series I'm doing on the entire text of Nietzsche's Thus Spoke Zarathustra (the entire discussion is available on my AthensCorner.com website for subscribers). At issue in Zarathustra's speech here is everything encompassed in the phrase "the transvaluation of all values" (or "the revaluation of all values…

1
77 - Lucullus II: Armenia 1:01:42

8M ago1:01:42

1:01:42

Lucullus drives Mithridates out of Pontus, and war escalates In this episode: -The power of concentration -Nothing is more important than sleep -Bold Barbarian Queens -The value of bad news -Battle of Tigranocerta Book Rec - Gareth Sampson, Rome's Great Eastern WarBy Alex Petkas

1
Samson for Fathers & Sons 50:38

8M ago50:38

50:38

This is my discussion in its entirety of the Biblical Samson for the "Fathers & Sons" series on my website (AthensCorner.com). The purpose of the series on my website is to assist and guide fathers who themselves want to educate their sons in many of the greatest books of our Western heritage. At issue here in the Samson discussion is the responsib…

1
Nietzsche's Thus Spoke Zarathustra 1.2 13:23

8M ago13:23

13:23

This is the trailer of the full recording of a discussion for the series I'm doing on the entire text of Nietzsche's Thus Spoke Zarathustra in philosophy on my website AthensCorner.com. Having just begun his new beginning by discussing what is required in order to become his "brother," Zarathustra learns the wisdom being taught to the youth. That i…

1
Nietzsche's Thus Spoke Zarathustra 1.1 10:31

8M ago10:31

10:31

This is the trailer of the full recording of a discussion for the series I'm doing on the entire text of Nietzsche's Thus Spoke Zarathustra in philosophy on my website AthensCorner.com. At issue here is Zarathustra's new beginning after his initial failure. He has become an insurgent in order to achieve his political and, in fact, planetary, projec…

1
Thucydides' "Archaeology" 1.2 14:57

8M ago14:57

14:57

This is the trailer of the full recording of a discussion for the series "Technology and Nihilism" in philosophy on my website AthensCorner.com. After having previously discussed the first paragraph of the text, here I discuss the significance of Thucydides for current discussions of what we think of today as "technology." I discuss how the opening…

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